See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241648396 Selective Problem Solving (sps): A Model for Teaching Creative Problem- Solving Article in Gifted Education International · January 2011 DOI: 10.1177/026142941102700310 CITATIONS READS 13 695 1 author: Ugur Sak Anadolu University 93 PUBLICATIONS 1,019 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: intelligence test View project Creativity Training View project All content following this page was uploaded by Ugur Sak on 12 August 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Gifted Education Intemational2011 Vol27, pp 327-348 ©2011 A B Academic Publishers Ahmed Mohamed Assiut University, Egypt and C. June Maker The University of Arizona, USA creative storytelling: evaluating problem solving in children's invented stories Abstract One of the most important functions of storytelling is to help individuals solve problems that can be of significance in their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to discover new criteria to use when assessing the quality of children's invented stories as examples of their linguistic problem solving ability. Three children's stories, told during a Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities while Observing Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER) Assessment and analyzed by trained observers, were re-analyzed using the high point micro analysis (Labov, 1972; Peterson & McCabe, 1983) and the Narrative Assessment Profile (Stubbs, 1983). Teachers and other observers, who assigned ratings to children's work focused on certain linguistic conventions, and because of this focus, missed other important qualities of stories. A new list of characteristics, including such traits as using "openers and closers", using adverbs and quantifiers, and varied linguistic forms was proposed. This list of characteristics can be helpful to teachers who assess the quality of children's invented stories as well as observers who assess students' linguistic problem solving during the DISCOVER Assessment debriefing sessions. Keywords: DISCOVER, invented stories, problem solving, storytelling. Narrative or Storytelling Functions of Stories Narrative is a pragmatic language skill. It Storytelling has various functions. It involves understanding and reproducing de­ enhances children's conceptual and writing contextualized information or content. Any development (Dwyer & Bain, 1999), is a narrative is characterized by being driving force in transmitting heritage, structured, having a beginning, middle, and civilization, and historical events. Story­ a conclusion or an end, and it contains a telling enhances children's imagination, problem (Fein, 1995). Narrative also usually enables self-representation, integrates them is about real or imagined memories, and is into their own culture and unique ways of told in the past tense {McCabe & Bliss, 2003). using language, and conveys emotions and Volume 27 No 3, 2011, 327 Gifted Education International 2011 Vol 27, pp 349-357 ©2011 A B Academic Publishers Ugur Sak Anadolu University, Turkey selective problem solving (sps): a model for teaching creative problem-solving Abstract Problem solving is an integral part of human life from mathematics and science to business, marketing, arts, technology and more. It is sometimes a form of creativity with discoveries and aesthetics. In fact, wherever a genuine problem exists novel behavior is needed on the part of the problem solver. The aim of this article was to describe and discuss the Selective Problem Solving (SPS) model that can be used for creatively solving problems that are confronted in many disciplines. The SPS was developed based on an integration of research on creativity and teachings of Polya on problem solving. The SPS model is a revision and extension of the Polya model with an inclusion of problem finding, problem identification, problem construction, and selective thinking. It consists of six steps: Problem definition, problem identification, problem solution, problem construction, problem solution, and reflection. Keywords: problem solving, creativity in math, creative problem solving, creativity. Selection, the way all life becomes perfect, problem solving (Polya, 1954). A filter can be has been the unchanging law of nature. As a good analogy to a selectively working Darwin put forward, all living things, more mathematician. S/he filters out what is or less, have experienced natural selection. related to the problem under investigation Those who were not selective vanished as a and what is unrelated to it. Then, s/he works result of maladaptation. Likewise, selection with the information that is promising to the should be the habit of human thinking for solution. perfection. In fact, the eminent mathe­ matician Poincare (Gould, 2001) asserted Second, selection occurs in constructions. that discovery is selection. A creative A creative mathematician, for instance, mathematician, for example, makes selective works selectively while constructing comparisons among mathematical elements mathematical combinations. According to and selects those that have promise for Poincare (Gould, 2001), a creative useful combinations. mathematician selects the most useful combination from among numerous others. First, selection occurs when attempting In mathematics, the number of samples is so to understand the problem (Davidson & numerous that the entire life of a Sternberg, 1984). A good mathematical mind, mathematician would not be enough to for example, becomes selective during examine all samples to make combinations Volume 27 No 3, 2011, 349 that are promising. What a mathematician out the plan, and looking back. In the theory needs to do is to choose among numerous of insightful thinking, Davidson and samples or combinations with a view to Sternberg (1984) suggested that three eliminating those that are useless. According knowledge-acquisition components form the to Poincare, this selective combination can be bases for three different kinds of potentially felt with insight. One road that leads to creative ideas: Selective encoding, selective insight is thinking in the form of analogies. combination, and selective comparison. An insight of selective encoding involves sorting Third, selection also has an important relevant from irrelevant information. An role in finding analogies. One of the insight of selective combination involves fundamental characteristics distinguishing combining facts and ideas into a relevant creative people from others is their unique and integrated whole. An insight of selective capacity to discover analogies. Indeed, comparison involves relating newly analogy and selection are believed to be acquired information to information fundamental tools for discovery. A acquired in the past. Furthermore, research mathematician, for example, selectively on creativity has shown that problem looks for underlying structures between a identification, problem definition, and target problem and a source problem. problem construction that are believed to be According to Poincare (Gould, 2001), a more important than problem solving are creative mathematician discerns harmonious found to be the true roots of creative relations hidden among mathematical problem solving (Runco, 2006). In his model, elements, and according to Polya (1957; Polya emphasizes the use of analogy in 1968), almost no problems exist that are problem solving. The SPS model is a revision unrelated to formerly solved problems. and extension of the Polya model with an Polya (1954) further asserted that analogy inclusion of problem finding, problem has the lion's share in many discoveries. identification, and problem construction Furthermore, many creative insights seem to from research on creativity and selective have resulted from analogical thinking encoding, and selective comparison from the (Michalko, 2001; Runco, 2006). For example, theory of insightful thinking. the benzene ring was discovered by thinking of an analogy to a snake biting its own tail; the steam engine was an analogy to tea SPS Components kettles; and telegraph stations was an analogy to stations where post horses were The purpose of the SPS is to develop creative changed. thinking and problem solving ability through the use of analogical, insightful, and In this article, the author presents a selective thinking, and to enrich an description of the Selective Problem Solving individual's knowledge repertoire so that it (SPS) model inspired by the problem solving is transferable to different problem model proposed by the mathematician Polya situations. The model includes six problem (1957), the theory of insightful thinking solving stages: Problem definition, problem proposed by Davidson and Sternberg (1984), identification, problem solution, problem and research on creativity. Polya' s model construction, problem solution, and includes four stages in mathematical reflection (Table 1). problem solving: Understanding the problem, devising a solution plan, carrying 350, Gifted Education Intemational Stage 1: Problem Definition write necessary notations and draw figures if Defining problems usually is the first step of needed. Note that problems presented to creative problem solving when a problem is students at this stage should be more recognized. This is a very important stage advanced than their current knowledge. For because altering the problem definition example, in Figure 1, a problem